What is the Justice, Ecology and Development Office?

Our Mission

The JEDO mission is “to serve God for justice and peace.” This means that the office is concerned with defending individual human dignity, promoting solidarity, and fostering the common good, as well as working to cultivate personal and social responsibility, and standing with the marginalised to actively safeguard the integrity of all creation.

Our Purpose

To work closely with the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) through the Bishops’ Commission for Justice, Ecology and Development (BCJED) and through the associated organisations: the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, Catholic Earthcare and Caritas Australia.

To promote Justice, Ecology and Development through projects and activities based on the social teachings of the Catholic Church. These projects include:

Educational opportunities and resources to promote a deeper understanding of and commitment to the Church’s social mission amongst the people of the Archdiocese;

Collaborative action to assist parishes and Archdiocesan agencies and organisations to address concrete challenges in the areas of justice and peace; and

Advisory activities to enable the Archdiocese to respond to social issues from a Catholic perspective.

To support local Catholic action groups concerned with social disadvantage.

To work with other faith communities, civic and professional groups concerned with justice.

Who Are We?

JEDO Committee of Management

The JEDO Committee of Management is appointed by Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, Catholic Archbishop of Perth. They are governed by the endorsed Constitution which provides its brief to operate the Justice, Ecology and Development Office. The Committee members provide support and guidance to the JEDO Director who is appointed to manage the day to day affairs of the Office.

The Justice, Ecology and Development Office (of the Archdiocese of Perth) is mandated to assist the Archdiocese in fulfilling its responsibilities in furthering the Mission of the Church in accordance with the beliefs, values, traditions and social teaching of the Catholic Church.

Peter Higgins (Chair)

Fr Kelvin Barrett (SSC) (Member)

Sr Jacinta Unger (RGS) (Member)

Bernadette Dell (Member)

Ern Azzopardi (Member)

Clare Cole (Member)

Damian Walsh (Archbishop Costelloe’s representative)

Carol Mitchell (JEDO Director)

Beryl Rahman (JEDO Project/Administration Officer)

What does the logo image mean?

The image of the water flowing from the broken pot represents humanity and the hands of God capture the water regardless of where it is flowing from. This is a representation of the cyclic fall and growth of the soul.

God’s love is shown with the two hands that signify healing and growth. The Lord is with us in the free flowing of the water demonstrating the Alpha and the Omega of God’s love being with us at all times.

The image of the tree is biblical, representing the Cedars of Lebanon. These trees grow extremely large. The image of the tree and the incredible shade it provides represents God’s shelter and love for all humanity by feeding, nourishing and enabling us to grow.

Read current and past issues of the JEDO Newsletter here, and catch up on the social justice work of the Justice, Ecology and Development Office within the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth. Continue Reading

The use of acknowledgement plaques on entrances to homes, churches, workplaces and other buildings, serve to remind Australians of the presence of the Aboriginal people in our land millennia before the making of the Australian colonies and the Australian nation Continue Reading Aboriginal Acknowledgement Plaque Orders